[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 8]
[House]
[Pages 10619-10622]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES THAT PUBLIC 
SERVICE EMPLOYEES SHOULD BE COMMENDED FOR THEIR DEDICATION AND SERVICE 
                             TO THE NATION

  Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 213) expressing the sense of the House of 
Representatives that public service employees should be commended for 
their dedication and service to the Nation during Public Service 
Recognition Week.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 213

       Whereas Public Service Recognition Week provides an 
     opportunity to honor and celebrate the commitment of 
     individuals who meet the needs of the Nation through work at 
     all levels of government;
       Whereas over 20,000,000 men and women work in government 
     service in every city, county, and State across the Nation 
     and in hundreds of locations abroad;
       Whereas Federal, State, and local officials perform 
     essential services that the Nation relies upon every day;
       Whereas the United States is a great and prosperous nation, 
     and public service employees have contributed significantly 
     to its greatness and prosperity;
       Whereas the Nation benefits daily from the knowledge and 
     skills of these highly trained individuals;
       Whereas public service employees--
       (1) help the Nation recover from natural disasters and 
     terrorist attacks,
       (2) fight fires and crime,
       (3) deliver the mail,
       (4) teach and work in our public schools,
       (5) deliver Social Security and Medicare benefits,
       (6) fight disease and promote better health,
       (7) protect the environment and our national parks,
       (8) defend and secure critical infrastructure,
       (9) improve and secure transportation and the quality and 
     safety of our food and water,
       (10) build and maintain our roads and bridges,
       (11) provide vital strategic and support functions to our 
     military personnel,
       (12) keep the Nation's economy stable,
       (13) defend our freedom, and
       (14) advance our Nation's interests around the world;
       Whereas public service employees at the Federal, State, and 
     local level are our first line of defense in maintaining 
     homeland security;
       Whereas public service employees at every level of 
     government are hardworking individuals who are committed to 
     doing a good job, regardless of the circumstances;
       Whereas Federal, State, and local government employees have 
     risen to the occasion and demonstrated professionalism, 
     dedication, and courage while fighting the war against 
     terrorism;
       Whereas the men and women serving in the Armed Forces of 
     the United States, as well as those Federal employees who 
     provide support for their efforts, contribute greatly to the 
     security of the Nation and of the world;
       Whereas May 5 through 11, 2003, has been designated Public 
     Service Recognition Week to honor America's Federal, State, 
     and local government employees; and
       Whereas Public Service Recognition Week will be celebrated 
     through job fairs, student activities, and agency exhibits: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) commends America's Federal, State, and local government 
     employees for their outstanding contributions to our country;
       (2) salutes this Nation's public service employees for 
     their unwavering dedication and spirit;
       (3) honors those public service employees who have laid 
     down their lives in service to this Nation;
       (4) calls upon a new generation of workers to consider a 
     career in public service; and
       (5) encourages efforts to promote public service careers at 
     all levels of government.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Murphy) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murphy).


                             General Leave

  Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  The gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis), my distinguished colleague 
and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Civil Service and Agency 
Reorganization, has introduced House Resolution 213, and I am pleased 
to join with him today in support. This legislation expresses the sense 
of the House of Representatives that public service employees should be 
commended for their dedication and service to the Nation during Public 
Service Recognition Week.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of all my colleagues in 
expressing the House's tremendous gratitude and appreciation for their 
fine men and women who serve our Nation as government employees. Truly 
no profession is more critical to our Nation's basic operation than the 
public service.
  This is a very important week that offers the more than 20 million 
public employees a chance to educate all Americans about the countless 
ways in which government makes life better for all of us, from our 
Nation's postal employees who deliver the mail to our educators who 
teach our children and from our law enforcement officials who protect 
us to our emergency responders who quickly and thoroughly react to 
disasters. Government employees serve each and every American in 
countless capacities each day. Their essential sacrifices comprise the 
backbone of American society.
  Today, this House salutes those men and women who work hard every day 
to make America great. In addition, I

[[Page 10620]]

have letters from both the President and the Secretary of the 
Department of Defense expressing their appreciation for the work of 
civil servants and I will include them in the Record at this point.

                                              The White House,

                                        Washington, April 4, 2003.
       I send greetings to those celebrating Public Service 
     Recognition Week.
       Public service is vital to the American character. 
     Americans realize that giving something back to our 
     communities strengthens our country and fulfills our 
     obligation to serve a greater cause. Our Nation is deeply 
     indebted to the men and women who devote themselves to public 
     service through their careers.
       Every day across America, government employees at the 
     Federal, State, and local levels carry out countless 
     responsibilities that help protect our homeland, maintain 
     critical services, ensure economic growth, and strengthen our 
     national security. With the creation of the Department of 
     Homeland Security, more than 170,000 dedicated public 
     servants are now tasked with the overriding mission of 
     protecting their fellow Americans from terrorism. These 
     individuals serve our citizens and help make our government 
     more efficient and effective.
       Over the last two years, my Administration has taken 
     significant action to encourage public service and civic 
     engagement. Americans have responded with an outpouring of 
     kindness and volunteer service that is transforming our 
     Nation, one heart, one soul at a time. Through the USA 
     Freedom Corps, we continue to mobilize our citizens and 
     provide opportunities for individuals to improve their 
     communities by serving in local schools, libraries, police 
     and fire departments, places of worship, and hospitals. We 
     are grateful for these dedicated citizens and for all public 
     servants who touch lives, inspire others, and help us realize 
     the promise and potential of our great Nation.
       Laura joins me in sending our best wishes for a wonderful 
     week.
     George W. Bush.
                                  ____

                                         The Secretary of Defense,


                                                 The Pentagon,

                                Washington, DC, February 26, 2002.
     Subject: Public Service Recognition Week--2002.

       Since the September 11th attacks on the Pentagon and World 
     Trade Centers, Americans have had fresh reminders of the 
     importance of public service. Many public servants sacrificed 
     their lives on that day and since in the war on terrorism. 
     Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW) provides an 
     opportunity to highlight the value of public service and a 
     time to honor the accomplishments of the people, both 
     civilians and military, who serve America at all levels of 
     government.
       This year, the week of May 6-12, 2002, has been set aside 
     as Public Service Recognition Week. Public observances are 
     planned Nationwide and large-scale displays depicting 
     missions of most Executive Branch agencies will be exhibited 
     on the national Mall in Washington, D.C. The Military 
     Departments and many key Defense Agencies plan to 
     participate.
       We are proud of the role played by the Defense Department 
     and are delighted to showcase our national security 
     responsibility.
                                                  Donald Rumsfeld.

  Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 213 rightly honors public service 
employees for their essential service to our great Nation. I hope this 
resolution will help to encourage a new generation of young Americans 
to consider entering into a noble career in the public service, and for 
these reasons I urge all Members to support the adoption of this 
important resolution.
  Again, I thank my distinguished colleague from Illinois for 
introducing the measure.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
might consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. 
Tom Davis), the chairman, and the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Waxman), the ranking member, for not only cosponsoring this resolution 
but also for expediting its movement to the floor. I also want to thank 
the Speaker, Speaker's office, and I want to thank the gentlewoman from 
Virginia (Mrs. Jo Ann Davis) for the work that she does on the 
Subcommittee on Civil Service and Agency Reorganization but also in 
helping to make sure that this legislation reached the floor in time 
for its presentation today. I am pleased to join with the gentleman 
from Pennsylvania and I appreciate his remarks.
  Public Service Recognition Week, which has been celebrated the first 
Monday through Sunday in May since 1985, is an opportunity for us to 
honor and celebrate the commitment of government employees. Public 
Service Recognition Week offers all Americans, especially young people, 
the opportunity to learn and get excited about a career in public 
service. It also provides the opportunity to thank those who serve us 
daily for their efforts.
  I believe that public service should be valued and respected by all 
Americans. When we think of public service, we think of people in the 
Armed Services who protect us, people in law enforcement, people who 
help the Nation recover from natural disasters, who fight fires and 
crime, deliver the mail, teach and work in our public schools, deliver 
Social Security and Medicare benefits, fight disease and promote better 
health, protect the environment and our national parks, defend and 
secure critical infrastructure, improve and secure transportation and 
the quality of safety of our food and water, build and maintain our 
roads and bridges, provide vital strategic and support functions to our 
military personnel, keep the Nation's economy stable, defend the 
freedom and advance the Nation's interests around the world.
  There has been some conversation lately about interests in public 
service declining, and I would hope that as young people decide upon 
their careers, as they decide what it is that they would like to do 
that they would take a good look at the opportunity to serve not only 
themselves but to also serve their fellow citizens. So I would 
encourage them to look at public careers as a way of leading meaningful 
and productive lives. It is a great opportunity to be of service.
  I belong to an organization that says he who would be first of all 
would be servant of all, and when we serve the public we are at the 
peak of service.
  Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she might 
consume to the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton), 
who herself has a tremendous record of public service in this country.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman not only for 
yielding but for his very astute service as ranking member of the 
Subcommittee on Civil Service and Agency Reorganization and his 
leadership on that subcommittee and on the Committee on Government 
Reform.
  I also want to thank my good friends the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. 
Tom Davis), the chairman, and the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Waxman), the ranking member, for bringing this resolution forward, but 
Mr. Speaker, I am sure when they originally decided to bring it forward 
they did not have in mind what is about to transpire in the Committee 
on Government Reform.
  How perfectly ironic that we would be celebrating Public Service 
Recognition Week this week to honor Federal employees when tomorrow the 
Committee on Government Reform is about to mark up a bill that would 
strip one-third of the Federal workforce of essentially all of their 
civil service and collective bargaining rights. Let us have a big 
celebration for Public Service Week.
  This bill that is before us, on not a fast track but on a jet plane 
for reasons that have yet to be revealed to us because we have not been 
given a reason for the rush, goes well beyond the homeland security 
bill that was so terribly controversial in this House and in the 
Senate, and let me document what I am saying.
  The bill that will be before us tomorrow sweeps away most of the 
rights of the civilian employees of the Department of Defense. Pay for 
performance would immediately come into now the entire workforce, but 
no system for measuring performance is in place, according to the GAO, 
which has said slow this train down.
  The Department of Defense employees would be exempt from these 
executive bargaining rights that are applicable to other agencies.

                              {time}  1145

  Mr. Speaker, they are already exempt because the employee 
representatives testified that they had not been

[[Page 10621]]

consulted, they simply were called in and told what was going to 
happen. Consultation as is now required under the law has not taken 
place. They are already exempt from the collective bargaining rights of 
the rest of the government.
  No appeal or due process rights when you are suspended or demoted, no 
right to file a sex or race discrimination complaint before the Equal 
Employment Opportunity Commission.
  Mr. Speaker, I am a former Chair of that commission, and the notion 
that the Congress would ever exempt its own workforce from race and sex 
discrimination claims is almost unbelievable, but that is what this 
bill does.
  For reductions in workforce, there would be no need to base them on 
length of service or on efficiency while you were on the job or on 
performance. What does that leave, Mr. Speaker? It does leave race and 
sex since an employee cannot file a complaint at the EEOC. One could 
file a complaint with their agency, but we know what that means. AT&T 
has discriminated against me; I will file with AT&T. DOD has 
discriminated against me; and I will file with DOD, and no right for an 
independent review of what is found. That is what this bill would do, 
and a lot more that I do not have time to explain.
  Worse, just as we see homeland security spread now to DOD, they mean 
to spread what has happened in DOD to the rest of the workforce. Except 
as it spread from homeland security, it got worse than it was in 
homeland security. So what is the rest of the workforce to expect now?
  I want to make it clear that many of us on the Committee on 
Government Reform were relieved to hear that DOD was finally going to 
reform itself, particularly after 9/11. Many of us believed that DOD 
needed a lot of reform before 9/11; but after 9/11, it is imperative 
and indispensable. The notion that reform means sweeping away the 
rights of the employees is an oxymoron. There may be greater 
efficiencies; I believe there are with respect to all of these matters. 
But the notion of waiving them or sweeping them away in a couple of 
weeks with no scrutiny is simply unthinkable.
  The bill stunned the Committee on Government Reform on both sides of 
the aisle. It stunned even the Committee on Armed Services, but they 
are under huge pressure to pass this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I have come to the floor of course to congratulate the 
employees who have shown how important they are to us, particularly 
since 9/11 made us understand what perhaps we should have understood 
all along, but it will not do to celebrate their service while sweeping 
away their rights.
  I implore every Member of the House because most Members have civil 
servants in their districts to closely look at this bill and help us 
slow down the jet plane that is flying away with the rights of Federal 
employees even as we celebrate their service this week.
  Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Ruppersberger).
  Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor all of the hard 
work of civil servants during the Public Service Recognition Week.
  As a former Baltimore County executive, I had an opportunity to work 
directly with men and women who serve on the local government level. 
Their commitment to excellence continues to be a great source of 
inspiration. Public service employees have contributed significantly to 
American greatness and prosperity. It is with pleasure that I support a 
resolution commending public servants, especially our Federal 
workforce, for their dedication and continued service to our Nation.
  Public Service Recognition Week represents an opportunity for us to 
honor and celebrate the commitment of individuals who serve the needs 
of the Nation through work at all levels of government. It is also a 
time to call on a new generation to consider public service. Public 
service civilian employees are critical in demonstrating that the 
government workforce is a valued component to our country and to our 
national security. Thanks to all those who serve at the local, State, 
and Federal level.
  Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran).
  Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Davis) for all of his fine work in protecting and 
enhancing the Federal civil service.
  I am glad we have an opportunity to recognize the value of public 
service. Normally, these resolutions come and go and nobody pays much 
attention to them, but there is a particular benefit to having this 
opportunity right now, as the distinguished representative, the 
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton), explained 
earlier.
  This is a pivotal time in the history of the Federal workforce. It is 
a time when half of that Federal workforce will be eligible to retire 
within the next 3 to 5 years. Of the 2.7 million people, half of them 
may retire. Many people will say, so what. Well, for those who are 
going to be so blase about the importance of the Federal workforce, 
then I would ask them to look at some of the other civil services 
throughout the world.
  They will not find any other civil service that is as incorruptible, 
that is as productive, that is as responsible, as the Federal 
workforce. They are not perfect, but the vast majority of them went 
into the Federal civil service because they wanted to make other 
people's lives better, and they remain dedicated to that purpose.
  But when most of them joined the civil service, it was held in 
highest esteem. In the 1960s, three-quarters of high school graduates 
said they thought it would be honorable to work in public service. Now 
it is about one out of 5. We have diminished the value and the prestige 
of the Federal civil service, but they have not diminished their output 
or their commitment.
  But this, as I say, is a pivotal time because instead of trying to 
attract and retain the best people into civil service, what we have 
done is to come up with disincentives. The Congress has to fight every 
year to get a pay raise, even equal to the current very low rate of 
inflation. We have fought to protect civil servants' ability to 
collectively bargain, to maintain their health benefits, affordable 
health insurance; and now as the gentlewoman from the District of 
Columbia (Ms. Norton) mentioned, we have perhaps the biggest struggle: 
about a third of the Federal workforce, those who work for the 
Department of Defense, may lose their civil service protections.
  The Pentagon's desire is to contract them out. In fact, nearly half a 
million people, 425,000, are targeted throughout the Federal government 
to have their job contracted out to the private sector. In some cases 
that is appropriate; but in many cases it is not, and we are not going 
to find the kind of dedication to public service, even professionalism 
and willingness to accept in most cases less pay to be able to serve 
the public.
  We find that on average the difference for performing the same 
function between the private sector and the Federal sector is 32 
percent. It is a smaller disparity on the part of lower-paid employees. 
As we move into management, the gap is wider. In terms of skilled 
professionals, the gap is widest.
  I think we are in danger of losing something that this country has 
taken for granted. We need to reward Federal civil servants. We need to 
protect their benefits and enable them to collectively bargain, and in 
fact take every opportunity, such as this resolution presents us with, 
to say thank you, Federal civil servants, thank you for making this the 
strongest, most cohesive, most stable government in the history of 
mankind. We are proud of you. We want you to stay, we want you to 
maintain your commitment, and we want you to know that we appreciate 
what you do.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings), the former 
ranking member of the Subcommittee on Civil Service.

[[Page 10622]]


  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask all of my colleagues 
to support this resolution that honors the more than 20 million 
Federal, State, and local government employees for their outstanding 
contributions to our country.
  H. Res. 213 salutes policemen, firefighters, postal workers, public 
school teachers and administrators, and those who work at government 
agencies for their steadfast dedication. Likewise, the resolution 
honors our men and women in the armed service who have died in service 
to our great Nation.
  With the attraction of higher salaries and competitive benefit 
packages, it is not surprising that Federal, State, and local 
governments are finding it difficult to keep a talented workforce. It 
is imperative that efforts to recruit recent college graduates and 
promote training opportunities for current employees are fostered. 
Public service work can sometimes be difficult; but regardless of the 
circumstances, these hardworking individuals are committed to doing 
excellent work and to making a major difference.
  The theme for the 2003 Public Service Recognition Week celebration is 
``Celebrating government workers nationwide.'' Ironically, this week, 
instead of celebrating government workers nationwide, the Committee on 
Government Reform is scheduled to push through a Department of Defense 
proposal later today that creates a new personnel system and could have 
far-reaching implications to Federal employees not only with DOD, but 
at other agencies.
  The proposal and others like it must be carefully weighed with 
consultation by all affected parties, including organizations that 
represent employees. Again, I encourage all Members of the House to 
support H. Res. 213. It has been said that service to others is the 
rent you pay for the room you occupy on Earth.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the millions of Americans who have chosen public 
service careers. Their service makes life better, and their service 
brings life to life.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank all Members who have spoken, and I thank the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania. In closing, let me just suggest that we 
have heard some of the issues surrounding continuation of the civil 
service. We have heard some of the problems and complexities of working 
for government. We have heard about some things that we must do if we 
are to retain the type of workforce that we desire to have.
  I want to thank all of those who continue to work, who continue to 
make our civil service the very best in the country, who each and every 
day give of themselves for the benefit of others. Again, I thank the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murphy).
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1200

  Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I have no other speakers, but I would like to make a brief comment to 
include and certainly urge all Members to support this resolution. But 
as the distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) has said and 
others have supported, we owe a great deal to our civil servants 
throughout this Nation in all walks of life. They have helped our 
Nation in times of trouble and they keep our Nation running smoothly 
when there are good times. We are grateful for all they do. We want to 
continue to work to revise and update and work with them to make sure 
that a government that needs to be fluid and dynamic and adapt to the 
needs of the time can do so and look forward to their continued input 
as we support them, as we see what their needs are, as we see what the 
Nation's needs are in the future.
  Again, I thank the gentleman from Illinois for introducing this 
important legislation.
  Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of 
H. Res. 213, which expresses the sense of the House that public service 
employees should be commended for their dedication and service to the 
Nation during Public Service Recognition Week.
  There was a time when we were taught that ``public service is a 
public trust.'' That is true, but it is something more as well. In the 
aftermath of September 11, it is clear that public service is the 
bedrock of our Republic. Public sector employees, who have always been 
vital to the efficient, effective running of the government, now find 
themselves at the heart of our war on terrorism. It is the job they do 
that not only improves our quality of life, but also keeps us safe from 
those who would do us harm.
  It is fitting that we set aside a week to recognize the indispensable 
contributions of those in public service. They have chosen public 
service despite the fact that the private sector could often have 
offered a more lucrative career. That said, there is no reason we 
should take their selflessness for granted. They still deserve our best 
efforts to enhance pay and benefits, provide improved and innovative 
training opportunities, and to re-examine the cultural barriers that 
unfortunately persist in government that make life less than ideal for 
public sector workers. In short, we must show those already in public 
service that we appreciate the job they do for us. We must also show 
those contemplating a career in public service that there are many 
advantages and opportunities to doing so.
  Mr. Speaker, only one in six college-educated Americans expresses 
significant interest in working for the Federal Government. At the same 
time, half of the Federal workforce will be eligible to retire within 
the next 5 years. Therefore, it is incumbent upon us in Congress to 
reinvigorate a culture of public service across the country. We can do 
so taking the steps I have described above. As Chairman of the 
Government Reform Committee, I have been working hard to craft 
initiatives that will allow us to retain those employees we already 
have, while attracting the best and brightest of our young people to 
the public sector. I am confident we will be successful.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to take this opportunity to publicly 
thank those in public service for their dedication and commitment to 
our great Nation. I also want to reaffirm my commitment to giving them 
the best professional opportunities and working environment possible.
  Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bass). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murphy) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 213.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

                          ____________________